(The Pioneer)
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena laid the foundation stone of a 500-kW solar power plant at the Delhi Assembly on Monday, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Speaker Vijender Gupta.
Power Minister Ashish Sood, Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma, several MLAs and senior officers were also present on the occasion.
The 500-kW installation, scheduled for completion within 45 days, will significantly expand the House’s existing solar infrastructure, the Assembly Secretariat said in a statement. The old 200-kW rooftop solar system is being dismantled to make way for the new 500-kW installation, which will enable the Assembly to run entirely on solar energy, it said.
The move is expected to result in zero electricity bills, generating estimated savings of approximately `15 lakh per month, while reducing the carbon footprint of the Assembly premises, it added.
The Delhi Assembly will soon become India’s first legislative body to run entirely on solar energy, the statement said.
The speaker said the project will be completed within 45 days and help the Assembly save `1.75 crore annually through zero electricity bills.
The entire cost of the 500-kW solar plant will be recovered within a year, he said. “I hope this message of green energy will be adopted by Delhi people and they will install solar panels on their rooftops,” the speaker said.
Saxena said the laying of the solar plant’s foundation stone marked a historic occasion. He also announced that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will support another ambitious project of the Assembly, to transform it into a heritage site. The Chief Minister said her government is working to set up a solar-energy network in the city, with every government and private building having solar panels.
“Currently, Delhi requires around 9,000 MW peak power and through solar panels, people would be able to generate electricity, use it and also sell to the government,” she said.
The government has declared a subsidy of `78,000 for up to 3 kW of installed solar power plants to encourage people, so that Delhi becomes a “clean and green” city, she said. The Chief Minister also pointed out that the solar power plant initiative aligns closely with the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, making Delhi Assembly the first legislative body in the country to fully operate on renewable energy.
